The Wrath of a Woman Scorned
by EDelta88
Summary: A Hidden Village is not a safe place for a little girl if nobody comes when she screams. One night the villagers went too far and now Konoha shall reap what it has sown. Dark!Fem!Naru Pairings: Decided but secret
1. Aki

Insert disclaimer here

Blah Blah Blah basic text (i.e. description, speech, etc)

_Blah Blah Blah_ Thought or some transaction within someone's mind (also flashbacks)

**Blah Blah Blah** Kyuubi talking Jutsu will also be bold

BLAH yelling, or emphasis of some sort

* * *

**The Wrath of a Woman Scorned**

Rated M for: language, violence, adult situations and concepts, lemons, and graphic imagery

* * *

**Prologue**

_A moonless night, as all is quiet and the world sleeps…_

_All is thrown into shadow…_

_An alley, bricken walls casting a pall over the path they border…_

_Darkness…_

_A crumpled figure lying broken on the path, hidden beneath the stony walls…_

_So much darkness…_

_Quiet breaths coming in hissing pants like the death rattles of a wounded animal…_

_Darkness and pain…_

_A barely coherent groan of agony…_

_So much pain…_

_The sound of something steadily dripping to the ground…_

_And blood…_

_A splashing, like the sound of something moving in a puddle…_

_So much blood…_

_Angry tears, falling freely past snarling lips until none are left to shed…_

_And hate…_

_A primal cry of unadulterated rage, screaming its wrath to the cloudless heavens…_

_So much hate…_

_Deafening silence…_

_Truly death, in most any form, is a tragedy…_

* * *

**Chapter 1: Aki**

It was the day of the induction meeting as the newly graduated Gennin made their way back to the Academy, for their Gennin Orientation. Soon, though they didn't know it yet, the aspiring shinobi would be divided into three man cells where their assigned Jounin sensei would then test them again to see if they were truly ready to enter the world they were being trained for. Some would inevitably fail. Some would be sent back to the academy for more preparation. Still others would be dropped from the ninja program all together. But a select few would pass their sensei's test, becoming full fledged Gennin of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

But among these students gathering in their old classroom, for what most of them believed would be the last time, there was one that none had expected to see.

The ever enigmatic and mysterious dead last of the class had, once again, failed the exam and yet here she was, sitting few rows from the front wearing her usual dark orange jacket with white stripes on the shoulders over her usual tight fitting black bodysuit, a pair of odd white close toed combat sandals, a hitai-ate situated just above her stormy blue eyes, and her blood red hair pulled back into a ponytail. And, like so many things about Aki, nobody could understand it. How had she passed? Everybody wanted to know. The problem was that nobody was brave (or stupid) enough to ask.

You see while Aki was the dead last of the class it was only in name. For those less observant she was the girl with a predatory disposition (the sharp canines and whisker-like marks on her cheeks added a certain feral quality) and wicked pranking skills who sent five pre-grad bullies to the hospital in broken heaps after they had the bright idea to pick on the new girl. For the more observant, one would notice that whenever she bothered to complete a task given by the instructors she received top marks or that said instructors seemed to be wary of her. But observant or not all agreed, Aki was _not_ someone you wanted to mess with, if for no other reason then she was an unknown quantity.

That was another aspect of the girl that made many uneasy, nobody knew much of anything about her, not where she lived, who her parents were or if she even had any (though the general belief was that she was an orphan), her likes or dislikes, how she supported herself, and most importantly they had no idea what she was capable of, sure they'd seen her spar once in a while and she could kick like a mule but it was obvious that her heart wasn't in it, the fact that she never took her hands out of her pockets made that abundantly clear.

And then there were rumors, guarded whispers in dark corners of the room that children weren't supposed to hear, about people who had disappeared without a trace as if they had just ceased to exist. Most of the adults seemed to believe that Aki was somehow involved, though there was no evidence to prove or disprove that theory, but what made it truly disturbing was that several of the people who disappeared were Jounin…

Either way things were about to get _real_ interesting.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke was a very objective person, he did things in ways that would best serve his goals with little emphasis on personal feelings. So as he finished sizing up potential teammates, he was well aware of the team system, he decided that his top pick would have to be Aki. Honestly he didn't buy into those rumors that she was some kind of psycho murderer but he did know that she was strong and because of that he would prefer Aki over most of the others meaning that she would make the most ideal training partner, the fact that she wouldn't fawn over him every chance she got also counted hugely in her favor, _'Besides I haven't done anything to piss her off so I don't have anything to worry abou-'_

"I WIN!"

"What are you talking about Forehead!? I was the first in!"

_'…shit those two,' _Sasuke groused internally as the daily ritual of Ino vs. Sakura started to devolve into a fan girl free for all… again.

"No! I'm going to sit next to Sasuke-kun!" shout Mizore.

"Why would he want to sit next to a cow like you when he could have me?!"

"All of you, shut up," came a voice from just in front of Sasuke causing the bickering girls to freeze and draw the collective stare of the entire class, they'd annoyed Aki… sadly (or fortunately depending on your point of view) fan girls are not known for their self-preservation instincts.

"Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do about it Carrot Top?!" snapped Ami.

For a moment nobody moved, then very slowly, deliberately, Aki stood up before walking around the desk to stand right in front of the now petrified Ami staring directly into the other girl's eyes for what felt like forever…

"Boo."

"KYAA!" Ami cried, so surprised that she fell on her butt.

Snickering to herself Aki turned and sat down in the seat that the other girls had been fighting over leaving Ami a quivering wreck.

It was at that moment that Iruka-sensei made his entrance, "Alright if everyone will please calm…down?" slightly confused at the lack of noise in his classroom Iruka glanced around, finding a quivering Ami and Aki looking rather pleased with herself he sighed, "Moving on then, beginning today you will be-"

"Iruka-sensei?" called one student.

"Yes Shini?"

"Where is Mizuki-sensei?" the boy asked causing Iruka to freeze.

'_Now that he mentions it, where is Mizuki? He's almost never late and I haven't seen him all week,'_ thought Iruka, then Iruka noticed an all too familiar glint in Aki's eye and he had a pretty good idea of what must have happened, "Mizuki-sensei… has passed away," shocking the students, Mizuki-sensei was dead?

"H-how?!"

"He let his emotions rule him and paid the price," Iruka answered coldly before quickly moving on, he'd have to report this development to the Hokage, "Anyway, after today all of you will be official gennin of the Hidden Leaf, you will be divided into three man teams and assigned a Jounin-sensei who will both lead your team and further your ninja training as you are assigned duties and missions, I wish you the best of luck," with that he began handing out the team assignments until he got to, "…Team 7 will be, Haruno Sakura, Aki, and Uchiha Sasuke…"

At this Ino and Sakura shared a look, Sakura's seeming to say, "What just happened?" while Ino's said, "I don't know whether to be pissed that you're with Sasuke-kun or pity you for being with Aki."

"…Team 8 will be Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino."

At this Aki turned to smirk at a girl near the back of the room, who was palming her face in frustration, "Have fun Sunshine!" The girl gave Aki the one handed Tori seal making Aki chuckle. Aki and Hinata weren't what you'd call friends. It was more of a mutual respect born of being the only two girls in the class that were even remotely serious about training.

"…Team 10 will be Yamanaka Ino, Akamichi Chouji, and Nara Shikamaru."

Again Ino and Sakura shared a look, Ino's was something along the lines of, "Why me?" while Sakura seemed to be saying, "It could be worse."

"…Your sensei's will arrive after lunch, until then what you're free to do as you wish."

* * *

A few minutes later found Sakura walking the grounds of the academy deep in thought when she noticed her crush, and now teammate, sitting by himself, "Ohayo Sasuke-kun," she said quietly as she sat down next to him, for once not asking for a date, "…Sasuke-kun…what do you think of Aki?"

Though surprised at Sakura's out of character behavior Sasuke replied, "I'm not sure what to make of her really, why do you ask?"

For a long moment Sakura didn't answer then, "She scares me," she admitted, "I… one day I was walking home from school, when I was almost too my house I saw her walking down the street ahead of me," she paused again gathering herself, "then all of a sudden this guy that lives a few doors down from me yelled something at her and she stopped and glared at him, she had this look in her eye," she shivered at the memory, "…he, my neighbor…he just fell over dead."

Now that _really_ got Sasuke's attention, "Fell over dead? How?"

"That's the thing," Sakura said, clearly shaken, "There wasn't anything wrong with him, he SHOULDN'T have died."

There was a long pause as they both sat together contemplating their new teammate, then Sasuke asked, "You said she was staring at him, did they make eye contact?" Sakura nods, "I wonder…"

"What is it Sasuke-kun?" she asked.

At first he didn't answer, then, "I'm wondering if she could have used some kind of hypnosis," seeing Sakura's confused look he continued, "There was a member of my clan, a friend of my… brother, who became so adept with the hypnotic functions of Sharingan that he could literally control people, the basis of hypnosis is to convince the mind of something, theoretically if you could convince the mind that it had died…"

"Then the person would die," Sakura finished in a horrified tone, Sasuke nodded, "but your cousin had Sharingan how would she-"

"I don't know," Sasuke replied, "it could be that it's some kind of advanced genjutsu that requires eye contact or even a doujutsu."

"You mean like Sharingan or Byakuugan?"

"No those are bloodline doujutsu, I'm talking about techniques somehow based on the eyes like Shikumi no jutsu, where you uses focused killing intent and eye contact to show the victim visions of their death."

"So what? She learned some ancient secret technique and now she can just go around looking at people to kill them?!" Sakura cried, almost in hysterics at the thought of it.

Humming thoughtfully Sasuke answered, "No, I don't think so… convincing the mind to kill itself would be incredibly hard, most likely without the aid of something like Sharingan it would only work on the weak minded or create some kind of 'battle of wills' where she would have to overpower the other person's will to live... what I'm more worried about it where she would learn such a technique."

Again, a long silence overtook them until Sakura said, "I think…I think Iruka-sensei knows something."

"What makes you say that?"

"Whenever Aki's around he always seems so… sad, like somebody died or something."

Now that Sasuke thought about it, Sakura was right, "Well it's the best we have I guess, he should still be in the classroom."

As the two leave neither notice their red haired teammate sitting in the tree above where they had just been, reading a red covered book, "How interesting," she muttered before snapping the book shut and jumping from her perch, "This might be fun after all," she says to herself as she puts her book away and for a brief moment the lettering on the cover becomes visible: _The Wrath of a Woman Scorned, By: Sannin no Jiraiya_

* * *

**A/N**

This story is a combination of several challenges from my challenge forum (links on my profile): Living Blade, Mom's Looks Dad's Mind, and Wrath of a Woman Scorned (there's another one but it would give away a surprise)

Aki means evil/malevolent spirit.

Anyone having trouble with Aki's description think a smaller Yuroichi (from Bleach) with red hair, blue eyes, lighter skin, and a criptic disposition.

For any of you Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fans Shini is actually 4 and 2 put together. I felt Yonjuuni was a little long ;P

Fair warning, at this time this story is my last priority of the ones I have posted so updates WILL be slow in coming.

Edited: 11/25/09


	2. Team 7

Insert disclaimer here

Blah Blah Blah basic text (i.e. description, speech, etc)

_Blah Blah Blah_ Thought or some transaction within someone's mind (also flashbacks)

**Blah Blah Blah** Kyuubi talking Jutsu will also be bold

BLAH yelling, or emphasis of some sort

* * *

**Wrath of a Woman Scorned**

Rated M for: language, violence, adult situations and concepts, lemons, and graphic imagery

* * *

**Chapter 2: Team 7**

As Team 7 sat waiting for their Jounin sensei to show up Sasuke was thinking about who knows what, Aki was leaning back in her chair with her feet on the desk reading and Sakura was thinking about the conversation that she and Sasuke had with Iruka.

**Flashback**

* * *

_It was a fairly common scene that Sasuke and Sakura found once they made it to the classroom, Iruka grading papers, "Um, Iruka-sensei?" asked Sakura._

_ Looking up, a little surprised to find one of his students already back, Iruka asked, "Yes Sakura?"_

_ "Um, we were wondering, Sasuke and I, if you could tell us anything about Aki?" Sakura said, somewhat nervous._

_ Slightly curious Iruka asked, "Why do you want to know about Aki?"_

_ "Well she's our teammate now and…" now that she thought about it why was she so curious about Aki? Sure the other girl scared her but that wasn't really a reason to be curious about her was it? Then again why was she really afraid of her, sure Aki could kill her but so could a lot of the other students, so what made Aki such a special case? Then it came to her, "…I guess…I just want to understand her. Why is she the way she is?"_

_ That seemed to darken Iruka's mood, "Aki… she wasn't always like this," he sighed sadly, "when I first met her she was the most energetic happy-go-lucky child that I'd ever met, always smiling and laughing, always trying to cheer people up, a regular ball of sunshine…" he reminisced with a faraway look in his eyes._

_ This confused both Sakura and Sasuke; that sounded nothing like the Aki they knew, "What changed?" Sasuke asked somewhat dreading the answer as he started drawing disturbing parallels between himself and Aki._

_ For a moment Iruka looked absolutely murderous, "I don't like talking about it."_

_ Slightly confused Sakura asked, "Why not?"_

_ "Because if I think about it too much I might kill someone." _

* * *

**End Flashback**

In the end they didn't get much, mostly just more questions and Iruka-sensei telling them that if they really wanted to learn about Aki they should ask her directly. The only real answer, and what really worried her the most, was his comment about something happening to Aki that made him want to kill people. Glancing over at her red haired teammate she had to wonder, what could possibly be so bad that Iruka-sensei, kind, caring, patient, Iruka-sensei _want_ to kill someone?

Sakura decided to just bite the bullet and go straight to the source, "So, that book you're reading, what's that book about?" she asked, reasoning that small talk was as good a place as any to start.

"It's a tragedy about a misunderstood hero," the other girl answers, turning the page.

Not sure how to respond to that Sakura lamely replied, "That sounds sad."

"…Yes, yes it is," Aki answered, though, the way she said it, Sakura wasn't so sure she was talking about the book.

There was a long pause as Sakura tried to think of a way to continue the conversation without sounding like she was prying, in the end though it was Aki that brought up the next subject.

"So I take it you two had an interesting conversation with Iruka-sensei?" Aki asked, still not looking up from her book.

"W-what?!" Sakura asked, caught completely off guard by the other girl's question, _'How did she know?!'_

"You two held your little brainstorming session under the tree I was reading in," Aki replied, smirking knowingly as she turned the page.

"Y-you heard that?!"

Finally turning to look at the other girl Aki said, "You really should be more aware of your surroundings, never know who's listening," she said now glaring pointedly at the door to the classroom which opened a moment later to reveal a silver haired man wearing Konoha BDU, a mask covering the lower half of his face and his forehead protector pulled down over his left eye.

For a moment the newcomer just stood there then, "How to put this…my first impression… you're no fun," Sasuke and Sakura sweat dropped as their new sensei pouted while Aki looked oddly pleased with herself, "Oh well follow me."

* * *

_**5 minutes later**_

We find Aki, Sakura and Sasuke sitting, or in Aki's case lying lazily in the shade reading her book, in front of their new sensei who was leaning against a rail facing them.

"Alright let's introduce ourselves," spoke their new sensei.

"What do you want to know?" Sakura asked.

Striking a thinking pose the silver haired man said, "Well names, likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future, that sort of thing, though not necessarily in that order."

At this Sakura asked, "Um, could you go first sensei? So we have an example."

"I suppose I could, well my name is Hatake Kakashi, my likes and dislikes are none of your concern, dreams for the future…I have lots of hobbies."

_'All we learned was his name,' _thought Sakura and Sasuke, Aki on the other hand…

"As evasive as ever I see," she quipped from her place in the shade.

Glancing at her teammate then back at her new sensei Sakura asked, "You two know eachother?"

Seeming uncomfortable with this line of questioning but hiding it well Kakashi answered, "You could say that I used to baby sit her when she was younger," then to change the subject, "Alright, so why don't you go next," he says, pointing to Sakura.

"Me?" Sakura asked, rather nervous at being put on the spot, "Well um, my name is Haruno Sakura, I like um…" she glanced at Sasuke, "well my dream is to…" again she glanced at Sasuke, this time sporting a heavy blush, "I dislike... _perverts_," she growled making Kakashi blink.

_'Not too out of the ordinary, girls her age are usually more concerned with romance then being ninja, seems a little obsessive though,'_ he thought before pointing to Sasuke, "You next."

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke, I see no reason to give out my preferences, I dislike quite a few things, I don't have any hobbies, as for my dream... my ambition is to resurrect and avenge my clan."

_'Saw that coming,'_ "And last but not least, little miss book worm."

"You say something?" Aki asked, looking up from her book.

Kakashi's eye twitched, "The introduction smart ass."

"Well you can call me Aki, likes…well those are rather complicated, dislikes… and my hobbies are rather well known, as for my dream… that's a secret," she said, grinning at the irritated looks her teammates were giving her.

_'And she says I'm evasive,'_ Kakashi thought sarcastically, "Alright now that that's out of the way we will be having a little test tomorrow…"

* * *

_**The Next Morning**_

As Sasuke made his way to the training field that his sensei had told them they would be using he was, once again, thinking about his red hair teammate, and the more he thought about her, the more confused he became.

Silently cursing Sakura for peaking his interest he went over what he knew about the girl. Aki was always smiling and grinning but they weren't happy smiles they were ones of cruel satisfaction or predatory intent. She'd laugh and chuckle but again it was a perversion of the expression, when Aki laughed it felt dead and mirthless, almost haunting. There were just so many things about her that just felt… wrong, off, like a twisted mockery. And then there was that book she was always reading…

Out of curiosity he'd gone to one of the local book stores the night before and purchased a copy hoping he might find some insight into his mysterious teammate, it hadn't been at all like he had expected. That one of the Densetsu no Sannin had written it had surprised him, somehow he'd never pictured that someone so powerful would have the time to write. He had started to read the story itself last night… tragic didn't even begin to describe what the main character was put through but what made it truly disturbing was one sentence on the first page.

_This story was based on actual people and events._

That shit was real?! That thought had made his stomach turn unpleasantly. Most torture techniques were more humane than the stuff in that book and they were done to a child?!

Still in thought Sasuke arrived at the training ground to find the object of his musings sleeping against one of the surrounding trees using her arm as a pillow but there was something else, _'The dew on the grass around her hasn't been disturbed, did she sleep here last night?'_

It happened in and instant, one moment Sasuke was reaching for her shoulder to shake her awake so that he could ask and the next he was on his back while Aki straddled him with one hand holding his arm in a joint lock and the other around his throat ready to snap his neck. And for the briefest of moments before she recognized him Aki's eyes were absolutely murderous, in that moment Sasuke understood exactly why Sakura was so terrified of this girl.

For a few seconds they stayed like that, Aki staring down at him and Sasuke staring back like a deer caught in the headlights, "You needed something?" she asked as if it were entirely normal to be sitting on someone's chest in a position to kill them.

"Um, I was just wondering if you slept here last night," he said nervously.

"Yes," she said, not bothering to get off him.

"As amusing as this is, would you mind releasing him so we can get started?" said a voice from the middle of the clearing.

Glancing back into the clearing the pair, though Aki didn't seem at all surprised that there was someone behind her, saw Kakashi standing next to a madly blushing Sakura.

Shrugging Aki released Sasuke who made a mental note to stay out of arms reach if he was ever trying to wake Aki up.

"Alright, here's the deal," Kakashi said as he pulled out an alarm clock and placed it on a training post, "That clock is set for noon, you three have until then to get these," he held up a pair of bells before tying them to his belt, "from me, those who fail to retrieve a bell get sent back to the Academy. Any questions?"

"Um, sensei? There are only two bells," Sakura pointed out.

"Yes."

"Um, shouldn't there be three?"

"Nope."

"But then one of us will fail no matter what we do, that's not fair!" she cried indignantly.

"Life's not fair. Any other questions?" when nobody answered, "Begin!"

Immediately Sasuke and Sakura disappeared into the undergrowth leaving Aki staring at Kakashi seemingly debating the merits of actually participating. Then, without a word, Aki walked over to one of the training posts and sat down to take a nap.

Neither Sasuke nor Sakura noticed as Kakashi's shoulders relaxed ever so slightly.

* * *

_** A While Later**_

After the alarm rang Kakashi gathered his students, "Well I don't see any need for you guys to go back to the academy," he said, surprising two of his students, "Nope, you guys should drop out of the ninja program, you suck," hope crushed, "Sakura, you fell for a simple and obvious genjustsu," he chided, Sakura had the decency to blush, "Sasuke not so bad but at your level you should know better than to engage a Jounin alone," Sasuke scowled remembering how Kakashi had left him buried up to his neck, "And you didn't even do anything," he finished turning to Aki.

Opening her eyes Aki did something none of them expected, she held up a bell.

Eye widening Kakashi glanced down at his belt and sure enough one of them was missing, "How did-!? When did you-!?" he stammered.

Grinning predatorily Aki answered put a finger to her lips as though shushing him, "That's a secret."

Sighing in resignation Kakashi said, "Still, none of you got the true meaning of the test," and was about to continue when he was interrupted.

"Teamwork," turning toward the voice… it was Aki.

Slightly confused Kakashi asked, "You knew how to pass but didn't attempt to work with the others?"

"To what purpose?" she asked rhetorically, "For there to be teamwork there must be some level of trust between the members of said team, as I do not trust either of them it would be a waste of effort," she finished.

"Wait!" Sakura cried indignantly, "If the point of the test was teamwork then why were there only two bells?! That would just make us fight eachother."

"Of course it did," Kakashi responded, confusing Sakura, "The purpose of this exercise was to see if you could put aside your personal interests and successfully work as a unit," he explained, "While individual strength is indeed important," he directed this more at Sasuke and Aki, "teamwork, the ability to function as a unit is far more important because individual actions without thought of consequence to the whole can put everyone at risk… for example," suddenly Kakashi disappeared grabbing Sasuke and pinning him to the ground with a kunai to his neck, "Sasuke overestimating his prowess engages an enemy alone only to be taken hostage and thus forcing his teammates into a difficult decision of weighing his life against the captor's demands," he said waiting until he believe his message had sunk in to release Sasuke, "Do you see that stone over there?" he asked, nodding his head over his shoulder.

Looking past him they saw a large stone marker that lay several paces behind him, and while Sasuke and Sakura didn't recognize it a dark glint entered Aki's eyes.

"Hundreds of names are carved into that stone," Kakashi began, "Each and every one of them is recognized as a hero of this village but they are no ordinary heroes."

"What kind of heroes are they?" Sakura asked.

Before Kakashi could answer Aki stepped in, "The forgotten kind," she snarled, "the kind that gave everything for their village only to become another faceless name on a piece of granite."

"Not exactly how I was going to put it," Kakashi said into the silence that followed Aki's outburst, "This is a memorial to the shinobi that are listed as K.I.A. … the names of my best friends are on this stone," he said pausing to let that sink in, "By all rights I should just send you back to the academy," Kakashi said giving them a serious look, "But I'm willing to give you guys a second chance, after lunch we will try again. Sasuke, Aki, due to Sakura's lackluster performance she doesn't get any. I am the rules here, if you give her any you fail. Understand?" and with that he was gone.

An awkward silence fell over the clearing as the three children considered their teacher's threat, then without a word Aki pushed her bento toward Sakura.

"W-what do you think you're doing?!" Sakura cried, surprised and confused at the other girl's actions.

Aki simply stated, "I don't eat anything that I haven't prepared myself," before leaning back and closing her eyes.

"But Kakashi-sensei said not to give me anything to eat," Sakura said, still confused.

"And I'm not, I am simply stating that I won't be eating my bento while clearly not paying attention to it," Aki replied never opening her eyes.

Sakura blinked… then blinked again, what was that supposed to- then her eyes widened as she realized just what Aki was doing, "Oh… um thanks," Aki said nothing as Sakura began to eat the lunch, an odd but peaceful silence descending on the clearing until it was broken by the sound of clapping… it was Kakashi.

"Congratulations Team 7, you pass."

* * *

_**Later that Night**_

As Aki made her way into the woods Kakashi caught up with her, "You really should give them a chance, they might surprise you," he said.

For a moment Aki paused, "In my experience that can be dangerous, Inu-san," she responded without turning around.

"Not everyone is an enemy lying in wait to betray you, you know," he tried as she began moving further into the trees, once more silently cursing the misguided actions of his village.

"Perhaps…goodbye Inu-san," she responds before she disappears into the forest, her form consumed in shadow.

As he stood there staring after her a single tear slid down Kakashi's face disappearing into his mask.

* * *

**A/N**

BDU stands for Battle Dress Uniform

KIA stands for killed in action

And since we're on the subject of acronyms if you ever hear someone who doesn't swear use the word Snafu, laugh at them, it is an acronym from WWII meaning "Situation Normal, All Fucked Up" it's always funny when you hear it used on the news since the censors usually get so bent out of shape.

Edited: 01/17/10


	3. Ghosts of the Forest

Insert disclaimer here

Blah Blah Blah basic text (i.e. description, speech, etc)

_Blah Blah Blah_ Thought or some transaction within someone's mind (also flashbacks)

**Blah Blah Blah** Kyuubi talking Jutsu will also be bold

BLAH yelling, or emphasis of some sort

* * *

**Wrath of a Woman Scorned**

Rated M for: language, violence, adult situations and concepts, lemons, and graphic imagery

* * *

**Chapter 3: Ghosts of the Forest**

He had to get away, that was the only thought in the man's head as he crashed through the underbrush, he had to run, had to get away, faster, as far away as possible.

Snap

He froze, listening. What was that? Did she catch up to him? But how could she have caught up to him so fast?! His escort should have at least been able to-

Footsteps

He whirled around his eyes frantically searching the shadows for his pursuer as he drew a dagger from the folds of his robe. It was her! It had to be!

Rustle

He spun around again to the sight of the still swaying shrub. She was screwing with him, "Where are you?" he growled trying to menacing but the quaver in his voice and his trembling hands betrayed him.

"Here," a voice whispered in his ear.

* * *

_**Konoha**_

As Sakura walked toward the Hokage Tower holding Tora for what felt like the millionth time she thought about how life had changed since she had been place on Team 7.

It was amazing how much had happened in the two months since Kakashi-sensei had passed them and as she walked with Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei she couldn't help but remember one of the more memorable moments.

**Flashback**

* * *

_ It was the day after the Bell Test, as Sakura had come to refer to it, when Team 7 walked into the Mission Office._

_ "Ah Team 7," the Sandaime said as he caught sight of them, "Here for a mission?"_

_ Kakashi nodded_

_ The Sandaime nodded to the assisting chunnin who started listing the available missions, "Alright we have, Catch Madame Shijimi's cat Tora, Ms. Yamata needs a fence painted, Mr. Kataka needs- hey where are you going?!" he called as Aki started walking out of the room._

_ "I have more productive things to do than someone else's busy work," she responded waving her hand dismissively._

_ "Now see here you little-!" the chunnin began._

_ WHAM!_

_ Before anyone could blink Aki had crossed the room and was holding the young man against the wall by his throat, "Your flack jacket smells new… recently promoted?" Aki ask one hand still in her pocket as her choking captive attempted, futilely, to break her vice grip._

_ "Aki, release him please," said the Sandaime, who didn't seem at all phased by her actions._

_ At first Aki did nothing, just kept staring into the chunnin's eyes as they started to roll back into his head, then seeming to loose interest she released her grip letting the gasping chunnin drop to the floor "As you wish."_

* * *

**End Flashback**

So it was that whenever they went for a mission Aki went off to do her own thing with the unspoken message to come get her when they got a real mission. Aside from that and the times that she would occasionally disappear for a day or two Aki would join them for team exercises and training, it was at some point during all this that she and Sasuke had come to a very important realization, Aki was a scary ass psycho… but she was _their_ scary ass psycho. Make no mistake they were still terrified of her but they'd sort of…

"**Adopted her?"** Inner Sakura suggested.

'_No, that's not the right word for it,'_ Sakura responded, _'it's more like we're really dysfunctional siblings I guess. We don't exactly like eachother but when it comes down to it we're on the same side.'_

She couldn't really tell when it had happened or how exactly but at some point in their ongoing quest to solve the puzzle that was their teammate she and Sasuke had developed a strange sort of possessiveness. They couldn't really explain why it had happened, though Sasuke had compared it to something from one of their lessons about studying a target during a mission. Iruka had said that if you study your target in depth you come to know them, their character, their likes, dislikes, their habits, and in a sense you love them because in many ways you know them better than anyone else, and they had most definitely studied Aki so, in a way, it made sense.

It started when Sasuke had suggested that they should go to the academy and see what records they could find and more importantly Aki's full name so that they could look her up in other public records. That was when they had discovered a pattern that would show up continually throughout their search.

Aki was a ghost.

As far as paper was concerned Aki didn't exist. Academy directory, orphanage records, village census, medical archives, she didn't show up in any of them. That was not to say they hadn't found anything though. While they were searching the old Military Police records Sakura had stumbled across an unsolved Missing Person investigation.

**Flashback**

* * *

_Opening the dusty folder Sakura's eyes went wide, "Sasuke! Look at this!" she called. _

_Coming to stand behind her Sasuke scanned the folder's contents over his teammate's shoulder._

_ "Is that Aki?" Sakura asked pointing at a picture of a red haired girl with a striking resemblance to their teammate._

_ "Could be," Sasuke glanced at the rest of the file, "The file says Uzumaki Kaiki… do you think she changed her name?"_

* * *

**End Flashback**

They'd decided to go with Sasuke's theory that she'd changed her name but if she had there was no record of it. Undaunted they'd tried looking for records about Uzumaki Kaiki, this had yielded a couple of things. First, at the academy they found a record of an Uzumaki Kaiki entering the same year as them but after the first year she hadn't signed up again. Then last week they gone back to check the hospital archives again. The first thing about her file that they'd noticed was that she didn't have a birth certificate but they had reasoned that she must have been born outside of the village. The actual file showed a few visits when Kaiki had been three for severe beatings but after her fifth visit she hadn't come again so someone had probably reported the abuse.

"**Heads up! You just walked into the mission room,"** Inner Sakura warned.

With a practiced motion Sakura handed the now furiously struggling Tora back to Madame Shijimi before turning to the Hokage and Iruka who was the attending chunnin for the day.

"Alright," Iruka said as he brought out the list of available D-ranks, "We have three babysitting requests, the Inuzukas would like some extra hands to help at the kennels-"

"Oh come back Tora-chan! Come back!"

"…um from the sound of it you could catch Tora agai-Sakura where are you going?" Iruka called after the pink haired girl who was walking toward the door.

"Aki was right, D-ranks are a waste of time," she grumbled irritably.

"Sakura these missions provide a major source of income for-" Iruka began only to be interrupted.

"Sensei our mock missions in the Academy were more meaningful than this shit!" Sakura snapped.

"Hmm, a valid point," Sarutobi mused stroking his beard, "D-rank missions weren't really meant for a team like yours. What do you think Kakashi, are they ready?" he asked turning to the masked Jounin.

"Well I've been thinking of asking for a while now…" Kakashi confessed thoughtfully, "Is Aki back yet?"

Sarutobi nodded, "She checked in a little over an hour ago."

Seeming satisfied Kakashi said, "Then yes, as the leader of Team 7 I would like to request a C-rank mission."

Nodding the aged Hokage called for one of his aides, "Please send Tazuna in."

A few minutes later an gruff looking old man walked in nursing a bottle of sake, "Kids?! I pay for ninja and you give me rug rats?!" her raged upon seeing who was to be his escort.

Sakura shivered, "You are _so_ lucky Aki isn't here," she muttered under her breath as she imagined what Aki would have done if she'd heard him say that.

"Team 7 this is Tazuna, a bridge builder from Nami no Kuni, you will be protecting him on his journey home and as he finishes his current project. Kakashi I assume that you will inform Aki?" Sarutobi spoke, focusing on the silver haired jounin as he addressed him while completely ignoring Tazuna's outburst.

Kakashi nodded.

Satisfied the Sandaime turn to Team 7 and Tazuna as a whole, "You leave in the morning. I wish you the best of luck," he spoke, waving his hand to dismiss them.

As the left Kakashi leaned toward Sakura, "So…that time of the month?" he teased.

Flushing in embarrassment Sakura turned to yell at her sensei for saying such a thing only to find that he had disappeared… though she would swear that she could hear him laughing.

* * *

_**Elsewhere **_

_'Now to find Aki,'_ Kakashi thought as he made his way down the street. He'd decided to check the Research and Development HQ first, they had standing bounties for bodies and materials that could yield anything useful and Aki generally found something on their list when she went on her little excursions.

As luck would have it he caught her as she was leaving.

"Yes?" she asked, noticing his presence immediately.

"We have an escort mission," he explained.

"Oh?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow, "Where too?"

"The client is heading to Nami no kuni."

"Is he now…" she muttered to herself, she'd heard quite a few rumors while she was out and even if only half of them were true this little escort could turn out to be very fun, "When do we leave?"

* * *

**A/N**

Ok, before anyone jumps down my throat about this chp being short considering how long it's been since I updated I need to point something out. Chapters three, four, and five were originally one really freaking long chp which I decided was too much (in more ways than length) for what I was trying to accomplish. So the majority of the next two chps has already been written with the exception of some modifications and the first confrontation with Zabuza and should be out relatively soon.

Anyway, someone pointed out last chp that naming a future Jinchuuriki Evil Spirit was kind of stupid on the Yondaime's part, and I would have to say that they were completely right… if that was the name he gave her. As I hinted in this chp Aki changed her name from what if was originally, I'll progressively explaining and giving clues all the way up to the end of the Chunnin Exams at which point you should have pretty much all the major background information.

Kaiki-Ocean Breeze/soft wind


	4. Wandering Feet Wandering Minds

Insert disclaimer here

Blah Blah Blah basic text (i.e. description, speech, etc)

_Blah Blah Blah_ Thought or some transaction within someone's mind (also flashbacks)

**Blah Blah Blah** Kyuubi talking Jutsu will also be bold

BLAH yelling, or emphasis of some sort

* * *

**Wrath of a Woman Scorned**

Rated M for: language, violence, adult situations and concepts, lemons, and graphic imagery

* * *

**Chapter 4: Wandering Feet Wandering Minds**

_**Konoha Main Gate**_

The next morning found the gennin of Team 7, minus Aki, and Tazuna waiting for the last members of their party so that they could be on their way.

"Alright, now all we need is Aki and we'll be ready to go," Kakashi said as he walked up to the group.

"Aki? Who the hell names their kid Evil Spirit?" Tazuna asked.

"I did," Aki said as she dropped down next to him, nearly giving the old bridge builder a heart attack.

Sasuke and Sakura exchanged a significant look. She had chosen her name? Did that mean she had changed it or was she just a nameless orphan that picked something out for herself?

"Ah, there you are," Kakashi said, giving his usual smile, "alright now we can get this show on the road."

It was as they started walking that Sakura noticed something, "Aki, where's your pack?"

Instead of answering Aki gave Sakura a pointed look.

'_Oh right, she sleeps in the woods,'_ Sakura thought, remembering Sasuke telling her about how he'd found her the day of Kakashi's test, _'Come to think of it does she even own anything other than what she carries on her?'_

**"Didn't Iruka-sensei mention some kind of seal that you can put stuff in once?"** Inner Sakura asked.

_'You think she uses storage seals? Isn't that a little advanced?'_

**"We're talking about a girl that makes 'Death Glare' a statement of fact. What do you think?"** Inner Sakura responded sarcastically.

_'True…'_

**"Why do you think she does it?"** Inner Sakura wondered.

_'Why does she do what?'_

**"You know, sleep in the woods and stuff." **

At first Sakura didn't have an answer to that. Why _would _someone choose to sleep in the middle of the woods? Sure temperature and weather didn't seem to bother Aki in the least but that couldn't be comfortable…

**Flashback**

* * *

_ She was sitting against a post, hunger eating away at her stomach, staring in open disbelief as her red haired teammate ignored her lunch._

"_I don't eat anything that I haven't prepared myself."_

* * *

**End Flashback**

As Aki's words from Kakashi's test rang in Sakura's head she began seeing a pattern, _'Aki doesn't trust anyone…'_

**"What's that?"**

_'I said that Aki doesn't trust anybody, she's paranoid. She doesn't eat anything made by anybody else, she sleeps in a different place every night, she's in a constant state of alertness, even when she's sleeping,'_ Sakura thought, remembering how Aki had nearly killed Sasuke when he'd tried to wake her up. As the evidence tumbled through her mind she could help but feel that Aki's behavior was… familiar.

**"She's like one of the vets,"** Inner Sakura muttered thoughtfully.

_'How do you mean?'_ Sakura asked.

**"All the old guys that were in the second and third great wars… she acts just like them. Constantly vigilant and aware of their surroundings, they react violently when somebody surprises them, that sort of thing. She acts just like that. It's almost like she's expecting to be attacked or something."**

All of a sudden Sakura stopped dead in her tracks, _'That's it…'_ she realized.

**"Huh?"**

_'She's expecting to be attacked…'_

"Sakura?" Kakashi asked.

"Huh?"

"Why'd you stop?" he asked

"Oh," she muttered, flushing with embarrassment as she hurried to catch up with the group making a mental note to tell Sasuke about her revelation.

Giving her a curious look Kakashi wondered, _'What she was thinking about?'_

Sasuke, meanwhile, simply ignored this in favor of his own thoughts. He'd read some more of "The Wrath of a Woman Scorned" a few nights ago. He hadn't been able to get very far in it, since becoming a gennin spare time was something he'd found himself having very little of what with training, missions, and looking for information about Aki, and to be quite frank he wasn't sure how to feel about what he'd read. He was still near the beginning so the plot was still building. So far most of the story had been explaining the level of mistreatment the heroin had suffered. It had amazed him that someone could endure that kind of punishment and remain sane. Granted it was probably embellished somewhat, but even a fraction of what she went through would break trained ninja and she was just a child. Whether it was that it was just normal for her or sheer force of will that she possessed, it amazed him that she could keep smiling. But everyone breaks… everyone.

The last chapter he'd read had been… graphic, detailing how the heroin was kidnapped and constantly tortured and abused for days before managing to slip away from her attackers. Then, as a break between the chapters, there had been a poem.

_You say that I'm a demon_

_That I've done such horrid acts_

_But what I've done I could not say_

_So let's look at the facts_

_You say that I'm a demon_

_As you fix me with a glare_

_But I have never done you wrong_

_And I don't think that's fair_

_You say that I'm a demon_

_As you treat me like nothing more_

_And so I find myself a demon_

_Though I wasn't one before_

_You say that I'm a demon_

_And now I say to you_

_If it be demon that you wish me_

_I'm a demon it is true_

_So you say that I'm a demon_

_And a demon I may be_

_But they say "it takes a village"_

_So maybe now you see_

_That you say that I'm a demon_

_That I'm evil through and through_

_But it's you who made me what I am_

_So what does that make you?_

The poem had struck a chord in him, especially the last stanza, which he found oddly familiar, like he'd read it before somewhere, but for the life of him he couldn't place it.

Either way, though he hadn't read further, the message was clear, the girl had finally broken and become the very thing the people had feared she was. Ironic really, but that wasn't what was bothering him. The concept of those people creating the thing they had sought to destroy and the parallels it shared with his own development disturbed Sasuke. He hadn't wanted to admit it but when he compared his vision of Itachi, the cold hateful murderer, with how he acted most of the time…

_'How did this happen?'_ he wondered.

How had he become so much like Itachi without even realizing it? He supposed that because he had always viewed Itachi as the strongest he may have subconsciously been modeling himself in that image but if that were true wouldn't that, in the end, make him just as bad? He had tried to reason that they were different, that he wasn't going to slaughter anyone to test himself and was being cold to not get close to anyone so that he wouldn't be tempted to activate Mangekyo, but now he was starting to question that reasoning. He had, after all, followed Itachi's instruction to use his hate as a source of strength, so in that regard he was playing Itachi's game even though he had vowed to go his own way. At this a deep frown creased Sasuke's face. Now that he thought about it very few of his actions made sense for his overall ambition of avenging and restoring his clan, so why had he-

'_That's it!'_ he thought, a new idea coming to him that explained everything. In fact, considering they had learned some psychology in the academy, he couldn't believe that he hadn't seen this sooner.

He had always thought of Itachi as his measuring stick, it was a simple concept, "If I'm better I can kill him." It made sense considering his mindset when all this had started, after all, in a child's mind what is the most simple way to beat someone? Hit them harder. Then, at some point, he must have transitioned from simply seeing that as the level he needed to reach to achieve his ambition to actually competing with Itachi, wanting to beat him at everything instead of being focused on what would help him kill his brother. He supposed it had been something of a learned response considering they had been siblings for years prior to the massacre and his vow to avenge the clan, some leftover reflex to compete with his former idol, but it had still cost him. By attempting to surpass Itachi he had progressed without thought, with no true plan of action, haphazardly spreading his efforts as thoughts, memories, and ideas struck him.

'_Jack of all trades, master of none,'_ he quoted dryly, _'Damnit! This is going to set me back years!' _he raged but quickly got ahold of himself.

He needed to think, needed a plan, something that would allow him to correct his handicap. He'd long ago chosen that they'd meet in open combat, or at least, "open" for ninja. He knew that it wasn't the most wise option, poison or some other indirect means would make more sense considering the power discrepancy, but that would be far from satisfying. He wanted Itachi to see him coming, to see his death drawing closer and closer as the members of their clan had when he'd slaughtered them. There was just one problem with that, Itachi was light years ahead of him in the power department so if he wanted to complete his ambition in any reasonable amount of time he needed an edge.

'_I'll never beat him at his own game. That much is certain. So how do I do it?'_ he wondered, thinking of the powerful warriors in history and what made them strong.

There were the classic examples like the legends like the Shodai Hokage and his Mokuton or the ghost stories that his clansmen had told him about the terrible power Uchiha Madara had wielded. The problem was that they were just that, legends and ghost stories that rose up before the Hidden Village during the days of the Clan Wars, he couldn't draw the kind of inspiration he would need from them.

Thinking of legends he thought of the man that had started all of this with his book. Jiraiya of the Sannin, the former student of the Sandaime Hokage, was born a no name, a civilian boy that entered the ninja academy with no advantages and became one of the most celebrated warriors in the history of the Hidden Leaf.

Then there was Jiraiya's student, Namikaze Minato, the infamous Konoha no Kiroi Senko and Yondaime Hokage. The only man whose exploits during the Third Great War earned him a classification all his own, SS-rank or "Flee on sight," and the man that defeated the Kyuubi no Yoko.

Speaking of teachers and their students…

Sasuke glanced at Kakashi, _'I wonder how many of the rumors are true.'_

From what he'd heard Kakashi was no slouch, lazy perhaps, but still formidable. A ninja before most children entered the academy, chunnin shortly thereafter, and jounin by the time he was Sasukes age. Then he supposedly did a stint in ANBU doing who knows what and, if he was remembering his history lessons correctly, "Hatake" was the clan name of Konoha's White Fang, a ninja said to have been on the level of the Sannin.

_'What do they have that I don't?' _he wondered, still staring at Kakashi as though the answer might appear on his flack jacket. Then he remembered what Kakashi had told him when Sasuke had asked him why he had passed them.

**Flashback**

* * *

_ "You disobeyed my order to not feed Sakura," the jounin answered._

_ "But I didn't-"_

_ "You didn't stop it either," Kakashi pointed out, but seeing that Sasuke was still confused, "It's true that orders are important but as a friend of mine once told me, "Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are less than scum.""_

_ "What's that supposed to mean?" Sasuke asked, still somewhat confused._

_ For a moment Kakashi said nothing as he prepared his next explanation, "Alright Sasuke, let me ask you this. What is Konoha?" _

_ "It's our village," Sasuke said. What was Konoha? What kind of stupid question was that?_

_ "Wrong."_

_ Huh?_

_ Taking a lecture tone that made Sasuke feel like he was back in Iruka's classroom Kakashi elaborated, "True, our village is named Konoha, however, Konohagakure no Sato is not a place or walls and houses. Konoha is the people, you, me, Sakura, the Sandaime, everyone who shares the ideal that my friend's words embody, they are Konoha. Walls can be repaired, buildings can be replaced, the village can be rebuilt, but people, your friends and comrades, cannot. They are the reason for your missions, they are what you are working to protect. Now tell me, if they die anyway, what was the point of completing the mission?"_

* * *

**End Flashback**

Kakashi's words had hit home for Sasuke, memories of how he had lost his family giving him an intimate understanding of Kakashi's point and ultimately the answer he was searching for.

The Shodai and his triumph over Madara…

The Nidaime's victories in the First Great War…

The Sandaime's success as Hokage despite his advanced age…

The Sannin's legendary synergy…

The Yondaime's exploits and defeat of the Kyuubi…

And thousands of others that accomplished what others thought impossible…

What those figures had, what they all shared, was the desire to protect that which they held dear and the will to see it done at all costs, even their own life.

But what did Sasuke have to protect? His family was dead. Because of his actions he had no friends. There wasn't really anyone for him to use as a focus, was there?

Then as he turned away from Kakashi he caught sight of Aki, _'What makes her strong?'_ he wondered.

He had no doubts that she was, in fact, powerful but she didn't seem to fit into his new theory. So what made her so strong? What was her secret? Why? For what purpose?

Suddenly Sasuke's inner monologue came to a grinding halt as saw something that chilled him to his core, a thing that told him that something was seriously wrong. Aki smiled… a malicious, blood chilling smile, the battle mask of a predator.

The next second two figures leapt from the puddle that the group had just passed wrapping some kind of chain around a surprised Kakashi before pulling it taught and shredding the silver haired Jounin to bloody pieces.

* * *

End Notes

Just so you all know that poem, "So You Say That I'm A Demon©" is mine and I have it documented, I have no problem if you use it as long as you cite that you got it from me. However, I worked hard on that thing to get it right, so if I find anyone that used it and tried to pass it off as theirs I will come down on them like the hammer of god.


	5. Bloody Mist

Insert disclaimer here

Blah Blah Blah basic text (i.e. description, speech, etc)

_Blah Blah Blah_ Thought or some transaction within someone's mind (also flashbacks)

**Blah Blah Blah** Kyuubi talking Jutsu will also be bold

BLAH yelling, or emphasis of some sort

* * *

**Wrath of a Woman Scorned**

Rated M for: language, violence, adult situations and concepts, lemons, and graphic imagery

* * *

**Chapter 5: Bloody Mist**

"One," muttered the figure on the right before he and his partner moved to their next target as Kakashi's remains fell to the ground in a bloody mess.

"Kakashi-sensei…" Sakura muttered in uncomprehending horror as she stared at the pile of gore that had been her teacher.

Sasuke was already on the move taking up a defensive position in front of Sakura and Tazuna… he needn't have worried.

There was a slightly wet chinking sound as Aki caught the chain in her now bleeding hand, "A two man razor chain?" she asked, mockingly lifting a brow at her opponents, "Surely you can do better."

The two men growled and in a practiced motion they both pulled on the chain in such a way as to lift and throw Aki obviously intending to use her hold on the chain to pull her off balance and leave her open for attack.

Aki had other plans. Jumping with the pull she flew through the air twisting like a cat to bring her feet back under her and dodge her attacker's claws. Firmly planting herself as she touched the ground she made a vicious yanking motion on the chain using the same maneuver that the two men had just attempted with her. One of the men was quick enough to realize what was happening and press the release on his gauntlet. The other was not so fortunate as Aki swung him over her head and into the ground where he made contact with a sickening crunch.

"Gouzu! NO!" the surviving man cried staring at the lifeless body of his partner, his moment of inattentiveness cost him dearly as Aki appeared next to him.

"Pay attention!" she growled, driving her foot into her opponent's stomach with the force of a rampaging bull, sending the larger man flying into a nearby tree.

_'What the hell is she?!'_ Meizu wondered, instinctively scuttling away from Aki in his panic as she advance on him, _'The chain should have ripped her to shreds- and that strength-there's no way she's human!'_

"Tch," Aki scoffed, a disgusted scowl crossing her face as she watched Meizu scrambled to his feet and run, for a few moments before blurring out of existence.

'_Gotta get away, gotta-'_ Meizu thought as he frantically scrambled away from the red haired devil only for his eyes to go wide in shock as said girl to suddenly appeared in front of him and drove her hand clear through his chest, killing him instantly as she destroyed his heart.

"How disappointing," Aki sighed as she freed her arm with a wet squelch, "I'd expected more from the supposed "Demon Brothers" but it would appear that I over estimated them, no fun at all," she said to herself as she sealed the bodies into a scroll that she pulled out of nowhere.

"Couldn't you have left one alive for interrogation?" the evidently alive Kakashi asked as he walked out of the trees.

"I could have," Aki admitted absently as she started to glow slightly with a red chakra that seemed to scorch the gore from her body leaving it as though she had never been in combat at all.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?" Sakura cried.

"Hm? What was what?" Aki asked coyly.

"Kakashi-sensei was-! Then you were like- grabbed the freaking blade chain-! And then you-!" she rambled, absolutely hysterical and incoherent until Kakashi put a calming hand on her shoulder.

"Sakura. Breath," Kakashi ordered as he crouched down until he was at eye level with the pink haired girl, "Deep breaths, in and out, that's right."

As this was happening Sasuke noticed a change in Aki, an odd look passing through her eyes as she watched Kakashi calm Sakura down. That wasn't what he had expected. Considering what he knew of Aki's usual behavior a pout at Kakashi "ruining her fun" would be more appropriate, _'What's different?'_ he wondered.

"I'm going to scout the area," Aki said as she abruptly turned toward the woods, "I'll make sure there aren't any more of them."

And then she was gone.

"Ok, what was that about?" Tazuna asked staring at the spot where Aki disappeared into the trees.

"I have a better question," Kakashi said now very serious as he turned to face Tazuna, "Why are there ninja trying to kill you."

Tazuna froze, "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," he denied.

"Your body language speaks otherwise," Kakashi informed him…

* * *

Some time later Team 7 plus Tazuna were in a boat crossing over to Wave Country. Evidently Tazuna had lied about the mission because of how desperately he needed help, some gangster business man had taken over and the bridge he was building was the only chance his people had. Funny thing was that Kakashi had bluffed when he had accused Tazuna of lying, he'd just asked on the off chance that Tazuna _had_ lied.

"What did you say this guy's name was again?" Aki asked.

"Gatou," Tazuna answered.

"Gatou…" Aki repeated thoughtfully.

"What is it Aki?" Kakashi asked.

"This Gatou, he's short, white hair that stands up, wears glasses, serious ego problems, and carries a cane like it's a king's scepter?" Aki asked remembering the description the poster had given as she momentarily put off Kakashi's question.

"Yeah that's him," Tazuna answered, where was she going with this?

"He's made a lot of enemies," Aki said with a smile, answering Kakashi's question before turning to stare into the fog.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tazuna asked Kakashi.

"It means that even if you never finish your bridge, by the time we leave Gato won't be a problem anymore," he said with a sense of finality.

"Oh…" Tazuna muttered, he wasn't sure how to react to that. On the one hand he wanted to dance a jig that his country was going to be saved. On the other he was becoming increasingly nervous about this Aki girl.

"That's the bridge," the boatman said as a large shadow loomed in the mist ahead of them.

"Whoa…" Sakura muttered staring up at the hulking structure as they passed it.

"Impressive," Sasuke agreed just before they entered a short tunnel.

"This is where I let you off," the boatman said, bringing the boat up to a dock a short distance from the tunnel's exit, "This is good bye, and good luck my friend."

"Yeah, thanks for everything," Tazuna said as the boat moved away.

"Well, let's get going then. Is there a way to your home that is less out in the open?" Kakashi asked.

"There is, it's over this way," the old bridge builder replied as he led them to a trail nearby.

"We're being watched," Aki muttered low enough so only Kakashi would hear her as they made their way through the trees.

"How many," Kakashi asked.

"Two, but they do not appear to be working together," Aki explained.

"How close?"

"One just moved behind us," Aki replied just as the tell tail whistling of something cutting through the air reached Kakashi's ears.

"EVERYBODY DOWN!" Kakashi cried dragging Tazuna down as Sasuke did much the same with Sakura to avoid a massive sword that cut through where they had just been standing. Aki simply stayed put watching as the blade continued its rotation, missing her just barely as it passed several inches from her face.

"Hm…that was Kubikiri Houcho," Aki muttered, "Which means," she turned around to face the man now standing on the handle of the massive sword that had imbedded itself in a tree, "Momochi Zabuza, formerly of the Hidden Mist's Seven Swordsmen. You have quite a price on your head."

"Oh? The little gennin fancies herself a bounty hunter?" the man, Zabuza, asked amusedly.

"There's also one other thing that I've heard," Aki continued as though she hadn't heard him.

"And what's that?"

"Is it true you slaughtered an entire graduating class?" she asked.

"Oh? You've heard about that have you?" he asked looking at the little red head with a new curiosity, "You know now that I think about it you look kind of familiar… have we met?"

"Nope!" Aki chirped.

_'Wow, she's really excited,'_ Kakashi thought as Zabuza turned his gaze to him.

"So Konoha has their last Sharingan master babysitting a bunch of brats and an old man, my how the mighty have fallen," Zabuza chuckled.

_'Sharingan?!'_ Sasuke blanched, _'But Sharingan's unique to the Uchiha, how could he-!?'_

"Pot calling the kettle black, Mamochi?" Kakashi asked.

"True I suppose," Zabuza admitted.

"So is there a reason you're attacking my team?" Kakashi asked politely, he was pretty sure he knew the answer, but he would prefer to avoid a confrontation of this magnitude.

"I'm here for the bridge builder," the former swordsman replied.

"I was afraid you'd say that, seems a fight in inevitable," Kakashi sighed, his hand moving to his hitai-ate, _'Against someone like him I'm going to need it.'_

"Oh? I get to see the famed sharingan already? I'm honored."

"Surround Tazuna," Kakashi ordered, "I'll handle this."

"Big words, but it doesn't matter, the old man is mine," Zabuza said as he ripped Kubikiri Houcho from the tree, appearing a moment later on the surface of the nearby lake, "Ninpu: Kirigakure no jutsu."

'_That isn't natural,'_ Sasuke thought, a thick mist rolled into the area, hiding Zabuza as he and the rest of Team 7 surrounded Tazuna.

"Likes play in the mist does he?" Aki chuckled, "So this is the famed art of silent killing, I have to admit, it's rather impressive combined with this mist."

"Eight points," Zabuza whispered, his voice echoing in the mist, "Lungs… liver… clavicle vein… carotid artery…spine… kidneys… heart… brain… decisions, decisions."

_'And head games too, I like this guy,'_ Aki thought, her predatory grin widening ever so slightly.

_'What incredible intent,'_ Sasuke thought, trembling from the force of Zabuza's killing intent, _'This pressure, it's overpowering. I almost want to kill myself just to escape it.'_

"Hey," Kakashi called to his team, "relax, I'll protect you guys even if it kills me," he said giving them an eye smile over his shoulder, "I don't let my comrades die."

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep Kakashi," Zabuza spoke as he appeared in the middle of the gennin's formation.

_'Impressive,'_ Aki thought, licking her lips as Kakashi drove a kunai into ex-kiri nin's gut only for him to dissolve into water.

"Sensei behind you!" Sakura screamed as another Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi swinging Kubikiri Houcho, cleaving the silver haired jounin in two only for him to burst into water.

_'Mizu Bunshin? He copied it even in the mist?!' _Zabuza wondered before feeling the cold steel of a kunai against his neck.

"Don't move," Kakashi said, now standing behind his opponent, "It's over."

"Over?" the missing nin chuckled, "That performance your clone put on was impressive, but do you actually think-"

"- that your cheap imitations can beat me?" the real Zabuza asked, appearing behind Kakashi as the mizu bunshin collapsed.

_'Shit,'_ Kakashi cursed as he ducked under a slash that would have cut him in half only for Zabuza to use the rotation to switch into a roundhouse kick.

Thud

"What!?" Zabuza cried, staring in disbelief at the little red head appeared out of no where and caught his kick with one hand.

_'When did she-'_ Sasuke thought before a smell hit his nose, _'Blood?' _he wondered as the mist began to turn red, "What the hell?" Sasuke muttered.

"You're getting rusty Inu-san," Aki addressed Kakashi, never taking her eyes off her opponent, "Why don't you let me take care of this."

For a moment Kakashi didn't say anything, then as he pulled his hitai-ate back over his eye, "Alright Aki, have fun," he said, jumping back to take up Aki's position with Sasuke and Sakura.

"Aki," Zabuza mused thoughtfully as he and Aki jumped away from eachother, "This red mist? It couldn't be…"

"Something on your mind Ijin?" Aki asked with a disturbingly cheerfulness.

"I recognize you now," Zabuza spoke, "The Hunter squads in Kiri called you Konoha no Benihime, The Crimson Princess."

"Oh, so you have heard of me!" Aki said, a creepy cheerfulness saturating her voice.

"You could say that, you were something of a ghost story among missing nin, a relentless hunter with a terrifying tenacity, would pursue a bounty regardless of borders or laws, was impossible to shake, and destroyed anyone that got in their way. The ultimate boogieman for anyone with a price on their head," he explained, remembering the stories his comrades had told him. "Back in Kiri the hunter nin said that if they found out you were after the same target they just scrubbed the mission and made sure that they offered the biggest bounty. They all mentioned the same things, icy blue eyes that seemed to pierce like a knife, long hair the color of fresh blood, and small, just a child, a little girl not even part of the ninja corps but they said that you could paint a battlefield red… though I had assumed that they were being poetic," he mused wryly looking around at the red mist that surrounded them.

"What else did they say?" Aki asked as the mist started to close around her.

For a moment Zabuza didn't say anything, "One called you a demon, said you were vicious, that watching you fight was the most terrifying thing he'd ever seen."

"A demon huh? So it's the demon verse the devil, how appropriate," Aki chuckled as she faded into the mist, "Let's play Ijin," Aki whispered, her voice echoing eerily in the mist in much the same way Zabuza's had.

* * *

End Notes

Ok originally I was going to go through the entire fight with Zabuza but I changed my mind and decided to retool a few things so here's this. Next chp will be Aki vs Zabuza and will most likely take a while since I decided to change how the fight is going to go.

Benihime= Crimson Princess

Ijin-Devil


	6. Dancing With the Devil

Insert disclaimer here

Blah Blah Blah basic text (i.e. description, speech, etc)

_Blah Blah Blah_ Thought or some transaction within someone's mind (also flashbacks)

**Blah Blah Blah** Kyuubi talking Jutsu will also be bold

BLAH yelling, or emphasis of some sort

* * *

**Wrath of a Woman Scorned**

Rated M for: language, violence, adult situations and concepts, lemons, and graphic imagery

_**Author: EDelta88**_

_**Beta: Semper Fi93**_

* * *

**Chapter 6: Dancing With the Devil**

_**Wave Country**_

Within moments Aki had faded into the bloody pall that had consumed the battlefield and, as the red mist continued to thicken, those present started to hear ghostly whispers echoing eerily around.

"_Help us…"_

"_Make it stop…"_

"_You shouldn't be here…"_

"_Run…"_

"_While you still can…"_

"K-kakashi-sensei, w-what is this?" Sakura stuttered just as one of the voices rose above the others.

"_Round and round, the maelstrom flows, where it ends, nobody knows…"_

_'What the hell?'_ Sasuke wondered as he heard a woman's voice singing quietly over the whispers. It was just so out of place, like a mother's lullaby.

"_Round and round, it flows for thee, down and down, into the sea…"_

"This is Aki's signature technique, the Bloody Mist," Kakashi explained in a low, sad, tone so that only Sakura and Sasuke would hear him, still on guard in case things went south. "As I understand it, she created it using the basic mechanics of the Kirigakure no jutsu but..."

_'So she's actually using blood,'_ Sasuke reasoned, recalling all he knew about the technique Zabuza had used, _'but if that's true, where did it come from?'_

"_Round and round, like the sun in the skies, the sunset's burning truth-"_

"-that even daylight dies…" Aki whispered in Zabuza's ear, appearing for only a split second before melting back into the mist as Kubikiri Houcho split the air where she had been a moment before.

"…In truth, it is far more than a simple fog," Kakashi continued. "Simply the restriction of the senses and the smell of human blood affects people on an instinctual level, but how she uses it... This is psychological warfare at its finest."

"Blown away in sorrow, all things pass as they must, like daylight into darkness, and diamonds into dust…" Aki whispered from the mist before her voice vanished and was once more replaced by the woman's.

"_So watch the summer come, and watch the summer go, like the innocence of youth, passing in the flow…"_

'_This,'_ Zabuza thought, awed as he tried to analyze his opponent's technique, _'This is… it's not genjutsu. She's maintaining at least two complicated ninjutsu, the control she'd need for this is unreal…'_

"_Round and round, the maelstrom flows, where it ends, nobody knows…"_

"Come and find me," Aki whispered, drawing Zabuza's gaze toward the woods.

"_Round and round, it flows for thee, down and down, into the sea…"_

"Nope, wrong way," Aki's giggled, this time from the direction of the lake. It was a hollow sound, cold, and devoid of life.

"Damnit," Zabuza growled, he was not used to being the one on the receiving end of the mind games and this girl was just as skilled, if not more so, with the Silent Assassination arts as he was. This couldn't go on, he needed a way to turn this around or an exit strategy.

_"Round and round, like a leaf blown in a breeze, the bloody tears of autumn, as the world forever grieves…"_

"Come on," Kakashi whispered. "We should leave."

"K-k-k-kakashi-sensei?" Sakura stuttered, terrified and trembling violently.

"But Aki-" Sasuke protested. They couldn't just leave her here! That was one of Kiri's Seven Swordsmen out there! She was one of the scariest ninja he'd ever met but this guy was out of her league... right?

_"Fallen from the vine, floating to the loam, like little tiny shells, drifting in the foam…"_

"She'll catch up…" Kakashi assured them as he herded his charges toward the woods.

"But…" Sasuke protested weakly. It didn't feel right, leaving her alone like this. _'How dangerous is she?'_ he wondered, glancing over his shoulder as they moved further into the brush.

_"So watch the autumn come, and watch the autumn go, like all you've ever known, passing in the flow…"_

'_I need to stall her,'_ Zabuza decided. He needed more time. He needed a plan.

Forming a group of Mizu Bunshin as he ducked into the trees, he scattered them into the mist. Some would say it was a waste of chakra but he didn't have much of a choice. He needed some kind of distraction while he regrouped.

"_Round and round, the maelstrom flows, where it ends, nobody knows…"_

'_Maybe she can't sense them?'_ Zabuza wondered as his bunshin moved, unopposed, through the red mist.

"_Round and round, it flows for thee, down and down, into the sea…"_

Suddenly, all of the bunshin were dispelled in rapid succession; violently, if the way Zabuza felt them practically explode was anything to go by.

_'So much for that theory…'_ Zabuza thought.

_"Round and round, like a pattern in the snow, a season's cold reminder-"_

_'If only I didn't suck so bad with futon, I could-'_ he was lamenting when the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

"-of seeds you'll never sow…"

"Shit!" Zabuza cursed, ducking out of the was of Aki's clawed hand just as she torn a large chunk out of the tree where he'd just been hiding.

"Fallen from the sky, drifting with the snow, in a world so cold and empty, like unending current's flow…" she sang, jumping after the former Jounin. Dodging Kubikiri Houcho to deliver a punishing kick to his stomach.

"Fuck!" Zabuza gasped, backpedaling. That girl kicked like a mule!

"So watch the winter come, and watch as all you know, vanishes before you, as it passes in the flow…" Aki whispered, smiling maliciously as faded away again.

"_Round and round, the maelstrom flows, where it ends, nobody knows…"_

_'Need to keep moving,' _Zabuza thought, circling around the lake on the off chance that he could move out of his opponent's technique. _'If I thicken my mist I might be able to feel her movements and keep my distance for now…'_

Unfortunately for Zabuza, he found that this too was all nothing but a waste of chakra.

"Round and round, washed in time and flow, like the people and the cities, and friends of long ago…" Aki sang, her voice bouncing merrily as she moved rapidly through the trees.

"Damnit, she's tracking me," Zabuza growled. He could only vaguely determine her movements but it was obvious that she was following him. How she was doing it, he could figure out later. For now, he needed to draw her into open combat somehow.

"_Round and round, it flows for thee, down and down, into the sea…"_

_'Here's to hoping she doesn't know how to fly,'_ Zabuza thought as he sprinted onto the lake, pumping chakra into the water. In theory, he should be able to feel her movements through the disturbances she would cause in the chakra charged water if she followed him.

Then, he waited and, sure enough, he felt someone step onto the lake, walking in his direction as Aki finished the verse.

"Round and round, like the vicious truth of life, the world's cruel reminder, of all your pain and strife…"

Ever so slowly, the mist cleared, and there, not ten meters from where he was standing, was the child that had beaten him at his own game.

"Well played Ijin," Aki complimented, clapping lazily as she moved to face him.

* * *

"Kakashi-san? Is it really alright, leaving her alone back there?" Tazuna asked, worriedly glancing over his shoulder. Sure that little red head was tough, that was obvious enough, but that

Zabuza character sounded like bad news. Was it really safe?

_'He's got a point...' _Sakura admitted to herself, now that she was calm enough to think clearly again. Aki was terrifying but...

"She'll be fine, she always is..." Kakashi assured them solemnly.

"Sensei?" Sakura asked, unnerved by just how... defeated, her sensei seemed.

_'So something like this has happened before?'_ Sasuke wondered, picking up on the tone in the older man's voice. If he had to hazard a guess, this wasn't the first time something of this nature had happened. _'Now the question is, which part has happened before? Aki facing an A-rank ninja or is it something else?' _

* * *

Zabuza slowly let out a calming breath, never taking his eyes off Aki as he tightened his grip on Kubikiri Houcho. "A wonderful game of hide and seek, princess," he taunted, hoping for any edge he could get as he slowly pulled his sword into a defensive ready stance. "But let's finish this like grown ups, hm?" he finished pulling the sword out infront of him in a defensive stance.

Aki smiled viciously at the challenge.

Very few had managed ever managed to evade her for long inside her mist, far fewer managed to force her to get serious. Though, more often than not she got bored and changed tactics, as was the case with Zabuza, or they just lost their minds and she killed them quickly and/or brutally, depending on her mood.

* * *

"It's complicated," Kakashi sighed. "That which does not kill you, makes you stronger... To a great degree, that is true. In order to survive, you adapt. In Aki's case...She's been pushed a great deal further than most and, well, you've seen the result. By most standards she would be considered a prodigy, the sort of card carrying genius that appears only once in a generation. Able to learn and adapt at a furious pace, a near eidetic memory, unreal stamina..."

"Then why isn't she?" Sasuke pressed, dreading the answer. It was like watching a train wreck, he didn't want to see what was at the end of the tunnel but, for some reason, he just couldn't look away.

"Prodigies are born that way," Kakashi explained. "Aki...she was talented, there's no doubt of that, but..."

"What? But what?" Sakura asked when he trialed off.

* * *

"Sounds fun," Aki laughed, vanishing suddenly only to reappear in the air behind Zabuza with her claws aimed to rake his back. It wouldn't kill him, she didn't want to stop playing just yet, but it would hurt, a lot.

'_Fast!' _Zabuza thought as he narrowly side stepped her slash and retaliated with a slash of his own at her midsection that would cut her in half.

As he swung he saw her body coil as if to jump and, much to his surprise, she pressed off of some unseen surface, flipping easily over the massive blade, despite already being in the air.

'_What!' _the former Kiri nin wondered as she delivered a crushing drop kick to his shoulder, momentarily forcing him beneath the surface of the lake.

* * *

Kakashi sighed. "I guess, the best way to describe it is that Aki is the product of her own will," he explained uncertainly, not sure how to best get across what he was trying to tell them.

This stunned his students. Aki had _made _herself into... She had become a heartless... by _choice_?

Tazuna looked horrified. "She...made herself like that?" he asked, unknowingly voicing the thoughts of the two gennin.

"Actually, it would probably be more accurate to say she _re_made herself," Kakashi mused sadly. "Anyway, she chose to become unstoppable and 'Aki' is the result, her creation. If she had a weakness, she stamped it out. If she had a strength, she pushed it as far as possible. If something got in her way... she removed it. Ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, kenjutsu, fuinjutsu, anything that she can use, she seeks out and perfects."

Sasuke frowned,_ 'So...'_

_"Aki? Who the hell names their kid Evil Spirit?" Tazuna asked._

_"I did," Aki said as she dropped down next to him, nearly giving the old bridge builder a heart attack._

Aki's words from the beginning of the mission echoed in his head. _'Evil Spirit...' _he wondered. She chose the name for a reason, of that he was certain. The name fit who she had become, who she had made herself into... but why had she become Aki?

"She uses seals to fight?" Sakura asked, confused. She had never seen Aki use seals in combat.

"A true seal master does not need ink and brush Sakura," Kakashi told her, "and Aki doesn't even need a surface to place it on. She could form a barrier in the air and stand on it if she chose to."

* * *

Zabuza attempted to elbow her in the gut but she dodged, easily bending around it and using the momentum to slash at his throat with a clawed hand before she felt an unfamiliar pain in her cheek as she was backhanded by Zabuza's injured arm.

Had he been able to fully swing he most likely could have broken her jaw but he merely bruised her cheek.

Aki's eyes widened. It had been quite some time since someone had landed a solid hit on her. Very slowly, she brought her head back to face Zabuza, fixing him with her cold blue eyes as an evil smile spread over her lips exposing her fangs.

* * *

"But still! That was one of the Seven Swordsmen! What if she gets injured? Or he poisons her?" Sakura rambled, worriedly chewing her lip.

'_No one's invincible,' _Sasuke thought morbidly, remembering the days when that word had been freely associated with his clan... before Itachi.

Kakashi frowned. "Aki is...durable," he answered, grasping for the right word. "She can recover from nearly any injury that isn't instantly fatal and that's if you are able to lay a hand on her in the first place."

* * *

Dodging a diagonal slash, Aki leaped back, loosing a brace of kunai to distract at her opponent as she somersaulted through the air.

Bringing Kubikiri Houcho into a vertical guard, Zabuza easily blocked most of the knives but grunted in pain as one buried itself in his lower thigh. "Damnit!" he hissed, knowing it was time for his exit strategy as he tried to put distance between himself and the demonic redhead. _'Any second now...'_ he thought as he did his best to stay out of her range.

* * *

"Here we are!" Tazuna crowed, his relief obvious as what looked to be a converted inn came into view.

"...Just how powerful _is _she?" Sasuke wondered as the walked toward the house. Forming seals without ink was a high level skill, requiring an in depth knowledge of the seal and a great deal of experience to with chakra manipulation. To be able to use such a skill in the heat of battle was incredible. Combined with everything else he had learned...

"No one is sure just how dangerous she is anymore," Kakashi answered as the continued down the trail. "I'm sure you've noticed how secretive she is?" it was more a statement than a question.

The two gennin nodded while Tazuna just took his word for it.

"She purposefully holds back against her opponents," he told them. "Although... I'm reasonably sure that it's more to keep things _interesting _for her than because she's actually hiding her abilities and judging by the skills she has already revealed are enough to suggest that she is capable of surviving encounters with most seasoned ANBU."

* * *

"Game over Ijin!" she shouted gleefully only to frown in irritation a second later as she caught sight of something on the edge of her senses.

Fwp.

Fwp.

Fwp.

"Seems you were right, it was over," spoke a figure in the trees.

Aki spared the newcomer the barest of annoyed glances before returning her gaze to the three senbon that had just buried themselves in Zabuza's neck, tilting her head curiously as she considered them.

"Mind if I check?" Aki asked... almost too politely.

"By all means," the Hunter replied, motioning for Aki to check the corpse.

Checking for a pulse she found none.

"I thank you for your assistance," the Hunter nin spoke as he appeared beside Zabuza's body. "Now, if you'll excuse me, this cadaver holds many secrets, I must dispose of it."

The last thing the masked ninja saw as he disappeared in a whirl of mist was Aki's fanged grin as her eyes flashed crimson.

* * *

"I'm home!" Tazuna called as he walked through the front door followed by the three ninja.

A tall woman with coal black hair moved towards them from the kitchen. "Dad, who're these people with you? I thought you were going to Konoha to negotiate a labor agreement?"

Tazuna nodded his head. "I did. I hired a group of Konoha's ninja to serve as bodyguards. Damn good thing that I did, too! Gato's started sending shinobi after me now."

Tsunami put her hand over her mouth, then fought back a sob. "Dad, I know you want to restore our country, but please be careful. I can't deal with losing you." Tazuna nodded, and Tsunami quickly dried her eyes, dabbing them with the hem of her apron.

"Not to worry!" Kakashi chirped, "The four of us will take good care of you father."

_'Wasn't he all doom and gloom a minute ago?'_ Sasuke and Sakura wondered, suddenly developing a new level of respect for their sensei's acting skills.

"Four?" Tsunami asked, wondering where the last member of their party must be.

"Four." Aki said appearing silently in the open door, nearly giving everyone, except Kakashi, a heart attack.

* * *

**End Notes**

Special Thanks to Semper Fi93 for his help in finally finishing off this _long _overdue chp. Seriously, even by my standards this is ridiculous.

"Agreed" says Semper Fi93

...Yeah, so hopefully it won't be a year before I update this one again.

* * *

Note: there are two versions of the Wirlpool's Lullaby, Aki's and the original. Aki's is more morbid.

Aki's Version of the Wirlpool's Lullaby

Round and round  
The maelstrom flows  
Where it ends  
Nobody knows

Round and round  
It flows for thee  
Down and down  
Into the sea

Round and round  
Like the sun across the skies  
The sunset's burning truth  
That even daylight dies

Blown away in sorrow  
All things pass as they must  
Like daylight into darkness  
And diamonds into dust

So watch the summer come  
And watch the summer go  
Like the innocence of youth  
Passing in the flow

Round and round  
The maelstrom flows  
Where it ends  
Nobody knows

Round and round  
It flows for thee  
Down and down  
Into the sea

Round and round  
Like a leaf blown in a breeze  
The bloody tears of autumn  
As the world forever grieves

Fallen from the vine  
Floating to the loam  
Like little tiny shells  
Drifting in the foam

So watch the autumn come  
And watch the autumn go  
Like all you've ever known  
Passing in the flow

Round and round  
The maelstrom flows  
Where it ends  
Nobody knows

Round and round  
It flows for thee  
Down and down  
Into the sea

Round and round  
Like a pattern in the snow  
A season's cold reminder  
Of seeds you'll never sow

Fallen from the sky  
Drifting with the snow  
In a world so cold and empty  
Like unending current's flow

So watch the winter come  
And watch as all you know  
Vanishes before you  
As it passes in the flow

Round and round  
The maelstrom flows  
Where it ends  
Nobody knows

Round and round  
Washed in time and flow  
Like the people and the cities  
And friends of long ago

Round and round  
It flows for thee  
Down and down  
Into the sea

Round and round  
Like the vicious truth of life  
The world's cruel reminder  
Of all your pain and strife


	7. Faces in the Mirror

Insert disclaimer here

Blah Blah Blah basic text (i.e. description, speech, etc)

_Blah Blah Blah_ Thought or some transaction within someone's mind (also flashbacks)

**Blah Blah Blah** Kyuubi talking Jutsu will also be bold

BLAH yelling, or emphasis of some sort

* * *

**Wrath of a Woman Scorned**

Rated M for: language, violence, adult situations and concepts, lemons, and graphic imagery

_**By: EDelta88**_

* * *

**Chapter 7: Faces In the Mirror**

_**Nami no Kuni**_  
Staring at Aki for a moment, Kakashi sighed. "You let him go, didn't you," he observed.

"He's still alive," Aki said, shrugging casually.

"What? But why would you..." Sakura muttered, trying to wrap her head around her teammate choosing to let an A-rank missing nin that was trying to kill them get away.

"Wouldn't it have been safer to just kill him?"

"Maybe, but where's the fun in that?" Aki asked, giving an extremely cheerful, and decidedly out of place, grin.

"What kinds of injuries did he sustain?" Kakashi asked, his meaning clear. How much time do we have?

"Oh, about a week, longer if he plays it safe," Aki said offhandedly. "Cracked a rib or two and did a number on his shoulder before his sidekick used senbon to induce a false death state and took him away under the pretense that he was a hunter nin."

"A week huh?" Kakashi mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Yep... now, I'm going to go train a little, I still have some energy to burn," Aki told him. Then she stepped off the dock, walking out to sea.

"Energy… to burn?" Sakura asked rhetorically as she watched the red head fade into the distance. Aki had just fought an A-rank missing nin and she wanted to do train out of boredom? In the middle of an ocean? Glancing down she caught sight of herself in the water and frowned at her reflection. Smudged makeup, long silky hair, skinny little legs, arms like kindling, tired from a day of walking. She had always told herself that "she was a girl, of course she wasn't going to be strong," but now, after being faced with a monster like Aki, she felt so… pathetic.

Was she just playing ninja?

Sakura's frown deepened. Come to think of it, why was she even a ninja? Why had she joined the academy in the first place? She hadn't known Sasuke yet, so that couldn't be it… What was she what was she even doing here?

"_Daddy? Daddy! You're okay!"_

Sakura blinked as the half-forgotten memory, her own overjoyed voice, floated to the surface, vague images of a white room following close behind.

"_But-but they said the caravan-"_

"_It's ok baby, I'm fine-"_

"_But your leg…" _

"_Well mostly fine, the ninja came just in time!"_

That was right… her father's caravan had been ambushed when she was little. A Konoha patrol had managed to save him but he'd lost his leg. She had wanted to be just like them; just like the people who had brought her father home… but she was going to do it better. When _she_ saved people they'd be whole.

'_What happened?' _she wondered, still staring at the churning water that had held her reflection a moment earlier. How had she become so… Where had that girl that was going to save people gone?

"Well, I guess there's no way around it," Kakashi sighed, finally coming out of his musings and interrupting Sakura's inner monologue. "If Zabuza's going to be back, I should probably train you two up a bit."

"Training?" Sasuke asked, instantly perking up before he remembered to school his features.

"So, do either of you know how to climb trees?" Kakashi asked, taking a sadistic pleasure in the dumbfounded looks of his students.

* * *

_**Several Hours Later…**_

"Ooh…" Sakura moaned pathetically from where she lay beneath her tree aching in places she had forgotten existed. _'Kakashi sensei is evil,' _she decided.

**"Not his fault you thought you didn't need high endurance,"** Inner Sakura pointed out.

_'Shut up…'_ Sakura responded weakly, rolling over on her side to watch Sasuke standing under his tree glaring at the trail of slashes that ended several meters above his head. _'How can he just keep going like that?'_ she wondered, he still hadn't gotten as high as she had but, until now, he'd been going non-stop the entire time they had been out here.

Suddenly, with a heavy sigh, Sasuke turned away from his tree and sheathed his kunai. "We should head back before the sun goes down," he said, walking toward the edge of the clearing only to stop just short of the tree line, cocking his ear to the side as though listening for something.

Alarmed, Sakura was on her feet, her kunai at the ready. "What is it?" she whispered harshly.

"It's… quiet," he replied, frowning. "Aki… I can't hear the explosions anymore."

"Oh," Sakura muttered lamely as the started walking toward Tazuna's house. Shortly after Kakashi had explained the Tree Climbing exercise to them, they'd begun hearing noises of a… violent, nature out on the water. They had been worried it was an attack of some kind but Kakashi had explained that it was just Aki's brand of training.

Both lost in thought, Sakura and Sasuke made their way back to Tazuna's house in silence, arriving just as Tsunami had finished setting the table.

"Inari! Dinner's ready!" Tsunami called from the bottom of the stairs. A moment later a little boy came down the stairs headed for the table, an annoyed look on his face as his mother mussed his hair.

Scowling, Sasuke turned away from the touching scene only to come face to face with his reflection, staring back at him through the surface of his empty plate.

**Flashback**

* * *

_"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!" Sakura cried, her eyes shifting wildly._

_"Hm? What was what?" Aki asked coyly, turning to the pink haired girl, a cruel smile playing on her lips._

_"Kakashi-sensei was-! Then you were like- grabbed the freaking blade chain-! And then you-!" Sakura rambled, absolutely hysterical and incoherent until Kakashi put a calming hand on her shoulder._

_"Sakura. Breath," Kakashi ordered as he crouched down until he was at eye level with the pink haired girl, "Deep breaths, in and out, that's right."_

_It was there for only an instant but Sasuke saw it. An almost unnoticeable falter in her smile as an odd look passed through her eyes as she watched Kakashi calm Sakura down. _

_Then it was gone_

* * *

**End Flashback**

He hadn't been able to place it before… or maybe he hadn't believed what he was seeing. Either way, there was no denying it now.

Aki had been jealous.

What had she been jealous of? Only the gods knew for sure. He could only guess… but it looked an awful lot like how he looked right now and how imagined he looked every time he saw one of the other kids playing with their parents. He was so lost in his thoughts in fact that he didn't even notice Aki walk in.

As her teammate was lost in thought, Aki sat down next to him looking as fresh as a spring daisy while Sakura and Sasuke looked utterly exhausted. It didn't really help that they knew they would have a repeat performance in the morning. In all honesty, they just wanted to crawl into their beds and sleep, but it was not to be.

"Why do you train so hard, you're just all going to die!" Inari screamed.

Aki snorted, "Whatever brat."

Inari glared daggers at the older girl, "Why do you even care! You don't know anything about us! What we've been through! What do you know about pain, huh? What do you know of suffering?" he spat.

Kakashi froze, his eyes wide and terrified as the room became deathly quiet.

Aki was completely still, her face blank, revealing nothing, but her eyes spoke volumes of her total and complete contempt for the child sitting across from her. "You know nothing of pain…" the red haired Kunoichi whispered, her voice deceptively calm as she pinned him where he sat with a glare of the purest loathing.

And then… she left, she simply pushed her chair away from the table and walked out of the room.

"Those eyes… such eyes should not belong to a child," Tazuna whispered in a subdued voice while Inari stared, terrified, at the chair across from him where Aki had been just moments before.

Kakashi sighed in relief, relaxing as he heard the front door click shut. "You are very fortunate that you are still only a child, Inari," he whispered, running a hand over his face.

"Wh-why is that?" Tsunami stuttered.

Kakashi gave her a sorrowful look. "Aki has no qualms about killing those that anger her. In fact, she's quite well known for it."

Inari paled and everyone looked at Kakashi with wide eyes.

"But then, why didn't she?" Sakura wondered, remembering how she had killed her neighbor in broad daylight. She hadn't even been half as angry as she had just seemed... so what was different?

Kakashi sighed. "Near as I can tell, Aki has a very complicated personal code; guidelines if you will," Kakashi explained. "One of her rules seems to be that she doesn't harm those she considers "innocents." While that isn't a very long list, children are usually in that category."

"So if Inari were a little older..." Tsunami's voice trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

"She would have cut him down without a second thought," Kakashi confirmed, sending shivers through the room.

For several long minutes, no one said a word, and the room descended into a silence broken only by the distant sounds of Aki's anger out at sea.

"Why?" Tazuna croaked. No one asked what he meant, it was all too obvious.

Kakashi didn't answer immediately, a faraway look in his eye. "She wasn't always so… twisted. She used to be the most amazing child, always running around, laughing. She could light up a room with just a smile…" he spoke, his voice trailing off, a sad twinkle in his eyes. "Oh how I miss those days..." he sighed, standing to leave.

Sasuke looked over at Sakura and she gave him a knowing look. _'It's just like what Iruka-sensei said,'_ they both thought.

"What...what happened to her?" Tsunami asked nervously, dreading the answer.

For the longest time Kakashi did not answer, his eyes becoming clouded again as though staring at something in the distance. Suddenly it felt as if the air in the room got heavy as Kakashi clenched his fist, his visible eye tightly shut in rage. "A ninja village is not a safe place for a little girl if no one comes when she screams," he murmured, his words hanging in the air as a single tear slid into his mask as he got up and left the house.

When he was a fair distance into the woods, Kakashi's hand lit up, crackling angrily as white lightning flailed violently around it. "DAMNIT!" he screamed, driving his hand clean through the tree to his right, vaporizing a large section of the trunk. Panting, Kakashi stood there, his entire arm lying, limp and forgotten, on the scorched wood as he started to cry. "Dammit..." he whispered as he fell to his knees as the floodgates broke.

* * *

**Deleted Scenes**  
_Note: these two scenes happened; I just couldn't find a good place for them in the chp._

**Aki's Advice**

Still holding the torn picture she'd taken from him, Aki turned to face Inari, her blank face hiding all emotion. "This was your father wasn't he?" she asked him. Inari, still frozen in place, simply nodded. Aki looked back at the picture and frowned. "Gato..." she mused, already knowing the answer to the question of how the man died. She turned back to Inari and saw him staring at the ground, tears rolling down his face.

"Uh-huh. My dad...he tried to stand up to Gato but he...Gato killed him! Right in front of the whole town." he said quietly.

The last part of his sentence ran through Aki's head several times. _'In front of the village...so he was publicly executed. He was a hero to the people but...they didn't stop it from happening,'_ she reasoned, her eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. Scenes flashed before her mind's eye... wet brick walls, a dark alley, she watched as a person walked by her, not giving her a second glance.

Aki growled, a low menacing sound that sent Inari scrambling until his back was firmly against the wall as the furious girl rounded on him. "Gato may have ordered your fathers execution," she snarled, "but he didn't kill him!"

Inari was frozen, like a deer before a pack of wolves, staring at her as his young mind worked furiously to figure out what she meant.

Suddenly her eyes flashed crimson as she released just enough killing intent to cause him to wet himself. "You stood by, _every last one of you_, and you watched. You did nothing while your father suffered, something just as bad, if not worse, than the act itself… Gato's men may have done the deed but it was you and this village killed him," she told him, her voice low and harsh.

Inari glared at her, despite terror inspiring aura. "There wasn't anything we could do! They had swords and they would have-" he began but Aki interrupted him.

"Killed you?" she interrupted, sneering down at him. "Yes, some of you may have died, but in the end Gato would be gone; and you wouldn't need me here, you wouldn't be suffering, you wouldn't be alone. But..." she stopped her tirade and smirked. "There is still time. You failed your father in his life, nothing will ever change that, but you can honor his sacrifice… give purpose to his death. Use your hate, your pain and your suffering. Use it and gather the villagers and stand up for yourselves like you should have from the beginning. Stamp out your weaknesses, perfect your strengths, and don't ever runaway; you will only die tired," she said to the young boy.

"B-but I c-could d-d-die," Inari stammered, terrified. He didn't want to die!

"Better to die for something, than live for nothing," Aki whispered.

Inari was, at first, stunned. However, as her words took hold of his head, it all made sense. Inari nodded. "O-okay..." he stammered, a new ferocity growing in his eyes. Aki smirked and handed him back the picture before vanishing.

* * *

**When Tears Run Dry**

"Mind if I join you?" Kakashi asked, coming up behind him.

"Not like I could stop you," Inari muttered sullenly.

"Better to be polite when intruding on someone's personal thoughts though," Kakashi said, taking a seat next to the boy.

For the longest time, they stayed like that, just sitting on the dock staring out at nothing.

"She was alone from the start, you know."

"Huh?" Inari asked, turning toward Kakashi.

"Aki," he clarified. "She's never had a family. In fact, she doesn't even know what happened to them. She doesn't know where they went, if they're dead, or even if they loved her," Kakashi explained, staring out over the ocean, his thoughts as far away as his gaze. "She's been alone from the start…"

"But how could she live like that?" Inari asked, how did she get food without someone to feed her? Where did she live? What had happened to her family?

A sad smile played across Kakashi's face. "Aki's always been a tough one, even when she was little. If she ever put her mind to something, nothing could stop her, but..."

"What is it?" Inari asked.

"Everyone has their limits... everybody breaks," Kakashi told him, whispering the later part so quietly that Inari didn't hear it. "She was a lot like you once. She couldn't understand why her life was so hard, or why she was always alone. She used to cry all the time. She'd hide under her blanket and sob for hours, crying herself to exhaustion just so she could sleep. She couldn't understand why people hated her," he explained, falling silent to give Inari time to absorb what he had just told him.

'_That sounds horrible,'_ Inari thought, hanging his head shamefully. "Why are you telling me this?"

For a moment Kakashi said nothing, considering his answer. "I lost my father when I was a little younger than you. I was already an active ninja in a time of war by then, so I had very little time to grieve," he went on as he turned to Inari. "We're the lucky ones Inari, you still have your mother and grandfather who love you very much and I have memories of my parents. We remember the happy times. What little Aki did have was taken from her years ago, eventually she ran out of tears. I don't think she even knows how to cry anymore... Personally, I would prefer pain than nothing at all, it reminds us that we're alive," he finished, standing to leave.

Inari said nothing, simply watching as the silver haired man walked away.

"Oh, and Inari?" Kakashi called over his shoulder.

"Yes?" the little boy asked.

"Don't live in the past for too long, or you'll lose your present."

* * *

**End Notes**  
Ladies and germs, it is official. I LOATHE the Wave Mission. Every time I write something for it I can never seem to get it how I want it and_ it's pissing me off _X(  
So that's my micro drama for the chp, I hope you enjoyed it! Next chp will be the battle at the bridge, I have most of it planned… then again, I had half of this written and it's still taken my fucking forever.


	8. A Complicated Code

Insert disclaimer here

Blah Blah Blah basic text (i.e. description, speech, etc)

_Blah Blah Blah_ Thought or some transaction within someone's mind (also flashbacks)

**Blah Blah Blah** Kyuubi talking

BLAH yelling, or emphasis of some sort

* * *

**Wrath of a Woman Scorned**

_By: EDelta88_

Rated M for: language, violence, adult situations and concepts, lemons, and graphic imagery

* * *

**Chapter 8: A Complicated Code**

_**Nami no Kuni**_

Aki watched through the window as two thugs strutted up the pier that lead to Tazuna's house pausing only to kick in the door. Aki growled irritated as she slipped down the stairs. "This won't be much fun… but they're bound to be wanted somewhere so it isn't a total loss I suppose," she sighed, boredly sipping her tea as she turned and walked silently down the stairs.

* * *

In the kitchen Tsunami screamed dropping the bowl she had been washing as the door caved in. She tried to run, screaming for Inari but one of the men to grab her by the wrist a second later throwing her to his partner.

The second thug laughed and shoved her to the floor and turned to his friend. "Hey Zori! Why don't we have a little fun first? Gato just needed her alive right?" he suggested, laughing some more.

The other thug walked over and knelt down. He grabbed her face and tilted it side to side, as if examining it before he smirked. "I don't see why not," he said as Tsunami whimpered.

Around the corner Aki's eye's started to glow an eerie red, just about to step out from her hiding place to gut these two scumbags when she paused, her head cocking curiously.

Suddenly the bigger thug lurched forward as heavy a ceramic mug collided with the back of his head, shattering on contact. Reaching for his katana, the mercenary spun around, expecting to see one of the ninja that had been guarding the bridge builders or one of the fishermen that lived close by but...

"Inari no!" Tsunami cried, trying to get to her son only for Zori's scabbard to crash into the back of her skull, sending her to the floor in a daze.

"Get away from my mommy!" Inari screamed, brandishing a small kitchen knife as he charged the two.

Watching from the shadows Aki quirked an eyebrow and smirked. _'Interesting,'_ she mused as the one eyed thug kicked Inari away.

"Well will you look at that Zori? The brat thinks he's a hero!" the larger one laughed, standing over the wheezing boy.

Zori laughed. "Well you know what we do with-"

"I believe he told you to leave her alone," Aki said, casually sipping her tea as she stepped into the kitchen, looking for all the world that she had simply come for another cup of tea.

"And what are you going to do about it? Cut us with your soup cup?" Zori snorted, throwing his head back, laughing at his own cleverness. Who was this little slip of a girl to tell him what to do? She was tiny!

"Tea actually," Aki corrected, draining the last dregs from the cup.

"What was that?" Zori's partner demanded.

"I'm going to kill you... with my teacup," she told them evenly, setting the cup upside down on the counter.

Zori stopped laughing, eyeing the girl as she stared back at them completely unafraid.

The two thugs flicked their thumbs, loosening their swords in their scabbards.

Aki didn't react.

Smirking, the one eyed thug dashed forward, drawing his katana, raising it above his head and bringing it into a downward slash at Aki's head.

Aki just sighed in disappointment. Snatching the cup off the counter, she stepped forward deflecting the sword with the cup as she slipped past his guard. Before anyone else had even registered that she had moved, Aki was standing behind him, her left hand snaking under his chin and lifting it as she drew the edge of the teacup, sharpened from its contact with the man's blade, across his throat.

Aki didn't even blink as she turned around, dodging a quick swipe at her midsection, and snatched Zori's sword arm, sweeping his feet out from under him so that, for just a moment, it seemed as if he were simply lying down a couple of feet off the ground before she drove the cup into his chest with such force that it cleaved skin, muscle, and bone with frightening ease.

_'Teacup?'_ was the last thing that went through Zori's mind as Aki followed through with her attack, he was dead well before his body slammed into the floor.

Staring into the surprised face of her victim, Aki smirked. "I told you."

* * *

_**Tazuna's Bridge**_

'_This is bad…'_ Sasuke decided, staring around at the many images of his enemy looking back at him. No, this wasn't good at all. And things had been going so _well_! They'd introduced themselves. They had exchanged banter. They had crossed weapons. They had exchanged more witty banter before the imposter unleashed a surprise attack. He had avoided the surprise attack with great skill and grace. And so their exchange had continued for several minutes.

Suffice it to say that Sasuke had been feeling very good about the fruits of his labors… until his opponent summoned these accursed mirrors!

Now he was completely surrounded. For every senbon he dodged another buried itself somewhere in his body. His fire jutsu were almost completely ineffective. He could barely track his opponent's movements. He was bleeding. He was exhausted. He was…

To put it simply? He was _fucked_.

"Damnit," Sasuke growled, glaring around at the ice mirrors. It would be _just_ his luck to end up facing a skilled Hyoton user alone. What a stupid way to die. This was not how he'd imagined it, and that was saying something because he had imagined his death quite often.

Haku sighed audibly. "Won't you please surrender? I would really hate to-"

"Two little ninja, dancing to and fro. Spinning round and round, on their little toes…"

Both Sasuke and Haku froze as the familiar voice, barely above a whisper, echoed eerily over the bridge.

"One said to the other hmm _hmm hmm_ hmhm hmmmm…"

'_What the… Is she humming?' _Sasuke wondered incredulously. That was just bizarre… and incredibly creepy. Then again, perhaps that was the point.

"Two little ninja, dancing to and fro. Spinning round and round, on their little toes…"

'_Of all the… Why did she have to show up now?'_ Haku wondered, cursing his luck as he searched the mist for the girl that had nearly killed his master.

"So she turned to him, a sad twinkle in her eye-"

Suddenly Haku was staring into a pair of deep blue eyes as fathomless and unforgiving as the sea.

"Won't you kiss me just this once, before we go to die?" she asked, cocking her head at him as a predatory grin spread across her lips.

'_Shit!'_ Haku thought, throwing himself from his mirror just as Aki smashed the reinforced ice as easily as she would shatter a glass window.

"Oh, you're _fast_," Aki sang happily as she skipped into the house of mirrors.

'_That's the second time she let me get away,'_ Haku thought, frowning deeply behind his mask. He knew full well that she had seen through his ruse once Zabuza-sama had explained who she was and now she was playing with him just like she had with Zabuza-sama at the lake. _'I must end this quickly,' _Haku decided, readying a handful of senbon.

"Too slow," Aki snickered, hopping out of the ways as a storm of senbon cut through the air where she had been standing.

"I had thought you would recognize a distraction when you saw one," Haku replied trying to keep her attention as he formed a spear of ice out of a puddle to Aki's right.

"I meant those half seals you were making as you attacked me," Aki replied, snatching the spear out of the air and hurling it at the mirror the ice user was hiding in.

"Shit," Haku muttered, stepping into an adjacent mirror even as the spear pierced the one he'd been hiding in. _'That should have hit her at least partially. How is she tracking me? Is she a sensor type or is she following my movements?_' he wondered. Then again, if she was focusing on him… perhaps he could use that.

Meanwhile, Sasuke stood all but forgotten as he watched the high speed exchange in morbid fascination whn, in a moment of supernatural clarity, he saw it. Haku was coming from a mirror to Aki's left, melting out of the smooth surface as he released another brace of senbon. But the real attack was coming from behind, the shards of the mirror she just shattered rising up to fly at her unprotected back.

Until the day he died, Sasuke would never be able to explain what possessed him to jump in between Aki and the ice user's attack. He had already watched her dodge the boy's attacks with laughable ease but, for whatever reason, when he saw a storm of senbon flying at his teammate's back he found himself leaping to her defense even though, logically, she didn't need it.

What he never expected though, was for Aki to whip around and pull him out of the way, a motion that left her fully exposed to their enemy's attack for a split second.

Unfortunately, a split second in ninja combat is an eternity.

"Gurk!" Aki coughed, her eyes going wide as two of the senbon pierced her throat, her body jerking as the large shards of ice buried themselves in her back.

"Wha-You-" Sasuke stammered, catching her by reflex as she collapsed like a puppet cut from its strings. "Why didn't you let them hit me!?" he demanded, catching sight of a shard lodged in the back of her neck as he lowered her to the ground. _'It must have severed her spine,'_ he realized.

"I don't like to… owe favors," Aki whispered, struggling to speak through the blood pooling in her mouth. "Why did you… why did you try to protect me?" she asked as she stared up at Sasuke with an unreadable expression.

"I don't know, my body just moved on its own," Sasuke admitted. It was true, too. He hadn't thought about it, he'd just done it. It had felt _right_.

"I-idiot…" she gurgled, blood spilling past her lips as her eyes fluttered shut, the corner of her mouth twitching upwards ever so slightly.

All Sasuke could do was stare disbelievingly as her eyes fluttered shut. This couldn't have happened. Aki couldn't be… Aki was the most powerful person he knew! Terrifyingly powerful! Seasoned jounin were afraid of her. _Kakashi_ was afraid of her! By the gods, she considered fighting A-rank criminals _fun_! This shouldn't be possible!

"This is not the first time you have seen the death of a comrade," the Haku observed solemnly.

Sasuke said nothing, just stared down at his teammate's corpse uncomprehendingly as he felt tears welling in his eyes.

"Your friend was… She was most impressive," the faux hunter nin admitted. "No one has ever given me so much trouble."

"Shut up," Sasuke whispered, his fingers curling into fists.

The imposter paused, appearing remorseful in spite of their mask. "For what it's worth, I am truly sorry. Under different circumstance I can honestly say that-"

"Shut up!" Sasuke screamed, jumping to his feet and spinning to face his opponent.

"I'm sorry?" the imposter asked, startled by Sasuke's outburst and even more surprised that Sasuke had found which mirror he was in.

"You know nothing about Aki…" Sasuke growled, glaring at the faux hunter nin as tears streamed down his cheeks.

Tears of _blood_.

"Sharingan!" the faux hunter nin gasped, staring in morbid fascination at the red and black star burst as a chakra condensed around the young Uchiha, forming a ghostly skeleton five meters tall.

"Die!" Sasuke snarled, thrusting his hand forward as skeleton's spectral hand did the same, smashing the mirror that Haku was hiding in like cheap glass and sending the young ice user tumbling across the bridge.

* * *

**A/N**

First things first. I would like to give a shout out to all of you that reviewed. I tried to respond to most of you but some of you had pms disabled and I undoubtedly missed a couple of you. To those that fell through the cracks, I DID read your reviews and I DO appreciate it. Thank you all (^.^)V

Second, I've been getting some questions about pairings; specifically, who I am going to pair Aki with. Now, I'm already setting up a pseudo pairing, some of you may have already noticed it. That said, the actual romance won't start until shippuden and I will NOT tell you who it is… it's a surprise.

Third, yes I just gave Sasuke Mangekyo Sharingan, no Aki is not dead. In this fic Mangekyo Sharingan is unlock via the mental trauma of feeling responsible for the death of someone you cared deeply for and not by the mystic bullshit of canon.

And lastly, the fight between Aki and Haku did not turn out as... epic as I wanted. So, since I will most likely be coming back to it later anyway, I'm open to suggestions.


End file.
